If you have decided to approach your child’s school in order to discuss the teaching of gender identity ideology to students, we can help you put together a letter outlining your concerns.
As a start though, these are the key points to remember when you are contacting a school (underlined text links to relevant documents):
Follow the complaints process as laid out by your school (ask for a copy of the complaints policy if needs be). Follow the complaints procedure all the way up to Governor level if necessary as Governors are likely to put the legal and reputational risk to the school above any personal ideological stance.
Take a deep breath before you send anything to the school. Finding out your child has been taught gender identity ideology as fact may make you feel out of control, distressed and angry. What we have learnt is that emotive letters are easily dismissed by senior leadership and often don’t get the desired response. The law is on your side though, so stick to the law, and make sure you state relevant sections of the law in your letter. Remember that many schools, with the best intentions, are inadvertently conflating being inclusive of ‘gender reassignment’ (a protected characteristic) with teaching the beliefs of those who subscribe to ‘gender identity ideology’ (which is not a protected characteristic).
Before you write, ask the school for a copy of their RSE and Equality policies. One of the key things schools have been encouraged to do by outside organisations promoting gender identity ideology is to list the legally protected characteristics incorrectly. The school has a duty to balance the rights of all protected groups, but they can’t do that if they don’t know what they are. The nine protected characteristics are as follows: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. You may find that in these policies that ‘sex’ has been replaced with ‘gender’, and that ‘gender reassignment’ has been replaced with ‘gender identity’ or ‘transgender’ – ask the school to correct any that have been renamed.
Check the school’s RSE policy to see whether the topics listed have been taught to the correct age groups. Include any discrepancies in your letter.
Ask to see a copy of the materials used to teach your child. Some outside organisations supplying resources to schools attempt to use copyright law to stop parents from seeing materials, but it’s difficult for them to argue it applies in this instance because:
– Parents are not requesting copies for financial gain
– The Department for Education RSE Statutory Guidance states that RSE Policy must be formulated in consultation with parents
– The RSE Statutory Guidance requires that all RSE material be available for inspection by parents – so whilst you might not be able to have a soft copy you can certainly go into school to examine materials.
The Government is aware of what is being taught during RSE and have changed their guidance from being permissive (anything can be taught) to restrictive (certain things must not be taught). They have specifically addressed gender identity ideology in their September 2020 supplementary guidance, and the relevant part is stated here in full:
We are aware that topics involving gender and biological sex can be complex and sensitive matters to navigate. You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear. Resources used in teaching about this topic must always be age-appropriate and evidence based. Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material. While teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing, teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support.’
When you have looked at the RSE materials used to teach your child, highlight any sections that are in breach of the above statement. This will be almost anything to do with gender identity beliefs including the ‘genderbread person’ diagram, statements relating to sex not matching ‘gender’, sliding scales of stereotypes of ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’ to denote ‘gender’, talk of ‘innate gender identity’, or other ideological terms such as ‘cisgender’ and ‘sex assigned at birth’. None of these ideas are scientific or evidence based, most rely on regressive stereotypes, and all rely on an ideological belief in a gendered soul being trapped in the ‘wrong body’. List out these breaches in your letter.
Schools must not elevate one protected characteristic over any other. OFSTED guidance on teaching protected characteristics in schools states that schools must foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. This commitment includes fostering good relations between those with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment (who may or may not believe in gender identity ideology) and those who have the protected characteristics of sex, religion or belief, and sexual orientation (which rely on sex being important, binary and immutable). Check to see whether the RSE materials used to teach your child acknowledge all protected characteristics. If the materials promote gender identity ideology without acknowledging how this impacts on other protected characteristics, include that in your letter.
Schools are required to be politically impartial. The Education Act 1996, sections 406 and 407 explicitly forbids political indoctrination of students, and states that where political views are brought to the attention of pupils that they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views. Gender identity ideology is explicitly political (and politically contentious) because it attempts to erase the importance of sex in law by elevating gender identity (under the guise of gender reassignment) above all else. Schools which promote gender identity ideology without offering alternative viewpoints are therefore in breach of the Education Act 1996. They would also be breaching the February 2022 Political Impartiality Guidance which reinforces to schools that they must not promote political partisan views, and must provide diversity of thought and opinion. Make sure you mention this in your letter if you believe the school have been politically indoctrinating your child.
A belief in sex being binary (only two sexes) and immutable (unchangeable) is protected in law. Check that any educational materials used are not attempting to ostracise, stigmatise, silence, or harass any staff or child who holds or states this belief in biological facts. Casting dissenting students and staff as bigoted and hateful is a method to compel them to accept highly contentious and controversial beliefs about gender identity ideology. The Equality Act 2010 and Schools document gives further information about schools’ legal responsibilities, and also specifically states that schools cannot discriminate against staff or pupils because of their lack of religion or belief. If your child has been subject to abuse for stating that sex is binary and immutable – or if educational resources imply that people stating those beliefs should be harassed and ostracised – ensure you include this section of the law in your letter.
Finally, begin any letter by stating that the school is absolutely right to be LGBTQ+ inclusive and that pupils should be accepting of any child who wishes to present as the other sex or who is gender non-conforming. It is the issue of gender identity ideology being taught as fact which needs addressing; judgements or thoughts on individual children are not relevant. Make sure you frame your letter to the school as an attempt to help them comply with existing law, which is essentially what you are asking them to do.
Please do get in touch with us if you would like any further help or guidance when contacting your child’s school via the Contact Us page.